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My car came with the BBI bar. There was light contact between the bar and the back of the stock seat when the seat was was fully extended aft. And this is where I made a giant miscalculation: I didn't do my research, and it cost me. I assumed a Porsche T Equipment bar would allow for full extension of the stock seat...NOT, it was actually worse than the BBI. These two (2) bars have found new homes...so now it's time for another run at this roll bar thing. I have just a few requirements.
1.) The bar must meet the minimum NASA Hoop OD specs of 1.75" and tubing wall specs of at least .095", with 2" tubing, the tubing can be .083",
2.) The aft portion of the bar must attach to the rear shock towers
3.) The material should be at least ERW mild steel, prefer Chrome Moly,
4.) Prefer TIG welding
5.) The bar must allow for full seat travel of the stock seats on non-track days. I'll have a race seat (Recaro?) for occasional track days.
This led me to build a spread sheet of the top three (3) bars that I found...all three (3) seem to be very close when it comes to my design criteria. Cantrell writes the best copy, in my opinion. I have ranked them 1, 2 and 3, but they are all three (3) very similar, or SO I THOUGHT: This may NOT be the case. I am getting feedback off the 996 Forum that the DASsport forward hoop attaches to a plate mounted on the door sill, a good thing in my opinion. It does not attach to the "B" pillar seat belt anchor area. I am investigating this and have requested the install instructions from Colin at DASsport. I much prefer mounting the forward hoop to a sill over the "B" pillar seat belt anchor area. This is the same area where you would mount a cage.
Last edited by Martin S.; 12-19-2017 at 03:46 AM.
Reason: Add File
Full seat extension and a bolt-in design utilizing the factory seat belt mounting point probably is not going to happen very easily. From bolting in and removing the BBI and Tequipment bars you will probably notice the bulkhead just behind the seat belt anchor that Angles Inward towards the center of the car at about a 25-30 degree angle. The bolt in bars must utilize a bend or sweep to allow the bar to be bolted into this location and then sweep back to create the main hoop. There is some room to allow for different sweeps, which is why some of the newer generation of bars allow a bit more of a recline than the tequipment bar. When you factor in the tubing thickness at this bulkhead to sweep away from it and allow a bolt-in solution at the seat belt, you're limited by the bulkhead + 1.75" tubing diameter and whatever slightl clearance is between it, even with a really good sweep up to form the main hoop at some point during full recline the bottom rear portion of the seat or rails will interfere with this area. We've spent a considerable amount of time bending and re-bending bars using CAD drawings and while some additional clearance can be achieved, we've seen with 6'5 drivers at full recline will hit (we've actually had a few taller drivers have no issues, but one particular one with longer legs who preferred a very upright seating position and full extension of his legs did have travel problems during a relaxed position for daily driving. For track driving when he sits a bit more forward with his legs at more of an angle he didn't have an issue).
The solution will likely be to have the main hoop placed slightly further back with floor plates that bolt through the floor just behind the seat and this bulkhead.
Thanks for the insight...I hope you are incorrect...but my gut feeling is that you are most likely correct, bolt in roll bar and stock seat are in compatible.
RSS has a bar that bolts to the rear shock towers, and the hoop bolts to the chassis. I will have to commit what some think to be a cardinal sin, drilling some holes in the chassis. I am prepared to answer to the gods for this transgression , wait a minute, its my car, I can do whatever I want with it!!!!
The bar has other features I want such as:
1.75" Chromoly,
.120 tubing wall thickness,
TIG welded,
Comes in Black or white, I want white,
$1,995
Made in SoCal (RSS) so I can pick it up with my truck.
Titan Motorsorts wrote, "Full seat extension and a bolt-in design utilizing the factory seat belt mounting point probably is not going to happen very easily." The more I check out bold in bars...the more I am convinced this is true. So my fantasy of a bolt in bar where I can use my stock US 6GT3 seat around town, ain't going to happen.
What I discovered to date, if I want full seat extension of the stock seat, I am going to need to install a bar that is attached (bolted) to the chassis, NOT the seat belt pick up point. I have found two bars that meet the bill and another that looks as if it may: The RSS 931 bar (Below) would do the job, unfortunately it's on back order and they can't tell me when it will be in inventory. In addition Stable Energy Motorsports sells the Safety Devices bar (They have provided incredible follow up on this project), it also looks to meet the criterion. AutoPower sells a bar, but I don't have that much info on their bar to date, but it does look good on paper...still looking.
I can't seem to delete the earlier EXCEL file....so I am posting my updated spread sheet...contains my latest findings. Basically, if you want a roll bar where the hoop bolts to the chassis, RSS, Cantrell and Autopower are the options I have discovered. If you want a pure bolt in bar, the options I found are BBI, GMG and DASsport. I am sure there are more, but that's all the time I have to devote to this project. Personally, The RSS 931 model is the most appealing, followed by the Cantrell. Both rugged bars (Read a bit heavy), but the forward hoop bolts to the chassis, and the aft extensions bolt to the rear shock towers.
I'll update this string if and when I pull the trigger on this project.
Joe Guinta from Stable Energies Motorsports reached out to me and mentioned he had two (2) of the RSS 931 bars in stock. In addition, they are discounted 20% from RSS list. I couldn't say no...the bar is being shipped out to me on Thursday....be here in about a week. Joe was great, super follow up, a good guy to do business with, so easy, so pleasant.
I have enclosed the RSS 931 install instructions, pretty straight forward. I'll post up pics as the install progresses.
if you can remove the steering wheel it makes install much easier. WATCH THE WINDSHIELD! any pressure on it will crack it. also use 2 plastic signs from home depot between the main hoop welds and the alcantara roof will prevent crushing the alcantara. once the hoops falls into place it will move away from the roof.
if you can remove the steering wheel it makes install much easier. WATCH THE WINDSHIELD! any pressure on it will crack it. also use 2 plastic signs from home depot between the main hoop welds and the alcantara roof will prevent crushing the alcantara. once the hoops falls into place it will move away from the roof.
Thanks so much!!!! Roll bar goes in the 2nd week of January.
Can you weigh the RSS bar? The design look good even though I don't like the fact that they have the tubing joint near the base of the shock towers instead of up hight near the top hoop. Having it up high is better from a stiffness standpoint of tying the rear towers together.
Edit: never mind, found it. 68lbs. The DAS bar is 55 and the Cantrel one on 45lbs.
12-05-2017, 12:39 AM
Roll Bar Research COMPLETE 12.10.17
Research over (I hope)
I will have to commit what some think to be a cardinal sin, drilling some holes in the chassis. I am prepared to answer to the gods for this transgression 
, wait a minute, its my car, I can do whatever I want with it!!!!
